Antibiotoic Resistant Bacteria

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Well, we knew it was coming and we have been warned about this countless times and in my opinion, this has been a challenge for some time already. This something is antibiotic resistant bacteria. Now this may not sound substantial but look at some recently released statistics.

According to the CDC, each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection. Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and in my opinion the rate of death from these as posted above is very low.

The New York Times reported that the number of deaths is substantially lower than previous estimates, in part because researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stripped out cases in which a drug-resistant infection was present but not necessarily the cause of death. Infectious disease doctors have long warned that antibiotic resistance — in which bacteria develop defenses against antibiotics used to kill them — threatens to return society to a time when people died from ordinary infections.

Dr Robert Janda, whom I am interviewing Tuesday 9/24/13, had shared in a recent discussion with me that "the bugs are getting smarter." With this information, it is imperative for us to outsmart the bugs, rather than them outsmarting us.

I feel that as a culture we have made the bacterial infection/antibiotic treatment route the norm rather than the exception, which lead to this potentially tragic circumstance we are currently involved in. To be "real", we cannot go back and it truly makes no sense to dwell on the past. 

All we can do now is move forward.

The first point that I want to make is that I am not the holistic practitioner that bashes the conventional medical system. There is truly a time and a place where conventional interaction is necessary, but as mentioned earlier, this would be the exception rather than a norm. As an example, if someone has a serious staff infection, go to a doctor and get a powerful antibiotic to address this because that staff infection could kill you. Important right?

So what about low level bacterial infections?

Most bacterial infections start in the gut and are relatively easily addressed. Heck, just last weekend I picked up a bacterial infection while I was out eating. This made me a bit bloated, nauseous and I eventually vomited. I know, pretty picture.

So what did I do? Did I run out for an antibiotic to eradicate this bacteria? Absolutely not. I took approximately 100 billion count of beneficial bacteria to counter the detrimental bacteria that entered my body and between the bacteria and my own body's natural immune defense mechanisms, this was a non issue with relative speed and ease.

So a bacterial infection in your gut can be assisted by the use of a quality probiotic in high doses but what other natural products have antibiotic properties?

Here is a list that may help you out.

• Cloves (Clove Oil)
• Colloidal Silver
• Olive Leaf Extract
• Echinacea
• Garlic
• Oregon Grape Root
• Raw Honey
• Mullein
• Myrrh
• Sage
• Thyme

For clients in my office I would often recommend a homeopathic I get from Germany called ABB, echinacea homeopathic tablets or a combination of Chinese herbs supplied by Chi Enterprise.

I can also share another personal example of natural products with antibiotic properties. I had a minor surgery last May and the doctor recommended that I go on antibiotics post surgery. This doctor knew me well enough to know that it was unlikely that I would go on antibiotics but he really was insistent that I at least take an antibiotic for three days as a minimum. Rather that the antibiotic, I chose to take Chinese herbs, Kidney Chi and Bamboo extract for a few weeks as my natural antibiotic and this worked like a charm. Please note that I recommend that you follow your doctors advice or at least have a discussion with your doctor to share your thoughts and opinions.

So why didn't I want to take the antibiotic anyway?

While there was of course a risk of infection with my minor surgery, I recognize that the antibiotic would cause damage to my gut. If the gut is compromised, this would create challenges for my brain as well as weakened immune function.

Doesn't is make sense to have a strong immune system when dealing with an infection, rather than a weakened immune system?

Absolutely!

And this was not even taking into consideration the potential of an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria.

So in the end, recognize that our past choices have created antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, so it is now up to you to take matters into your own hands, be in communication with your doctor with natural options and if you are met with resistance, search out a quality holistic health practitioner for advise. Regardless of where you live, Depke Wellness is always just a phone call away.

(949) 954-6226

 

 

Food Cravings...Uggg!

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

So what types of cravings do you experience on a regular basis? Sugar, chips, ice cream, breads, salt, chocolate, alcohol and the list goes on...

While most of us crave foods with some regularity, very few understand all of the mechanisms behind these cravings. Understanding this may assist you in curbing your cravings, so here we go.

We'll start with one of the most obvious and that is cravings based on the consumption of high glycemic foods. You know, foods sugar as sugary treats, sodas, processed carbohydrates, alcohol, fruit juices and fruit especially without the skin. When we consume these high glycemic foods, especially without added fat, these drive up glucose which in turn leads to a spike in insulin levels. When insulin levels spike so quickly, this will often send your blood sugar plummeting. As a result you have what...cravings. Often this is for more high glycemic foods also and round and round we go.

So to get off the high glycemic/craving cycle, do what? 

How about stopping the consumption of high glycemic foods? OK, so that was too easy of an answer and a bit of a smart (you know what) comment. It is a good idea though to consume high glycemic foods sparingly or only prior to times of physical exertion. What do you do when you simply want to enjoy one of these foods but you are not going to have the opportunity to burn off this sugar with exercise? The answer to this is to eat these foods at the end of your meal and always with added fat. Examples are:

• Apple with nut butter
• Wine with cheese
• Bread with olive oil

 * I am necessarily condoning all of these choices as healthy but I wanted to give you some real life examples.

A significant reason for cravings would be emotions. When we get stressed out what to so many people reach for to sooth their feelings? As mentioned earlier sugar, chips, ice cream, breads, salt, chocolate, alcohol and the list goes on...

Another factor that deals with emotions as tied into sweets is when we feel as if we are missing our own personal "sweetness" of life. So often we get caught up in a life of "doing" rather than a life of "being" and this leads to self soothing again and so often with sweets. Based on our discussion earlier, you now understand what dynamics are occurring when you are self soothing with these sweets.

There is one more craving definitely built into the challenges with emotions. When we are too ramped up, frustrated, irritated and angry we often crave processed carbohydrates such as breads. These choices actually have a sedating or depressing effect on your body to calm you down. Think about, how do you feel after a meal high in processed carbohydrates? You likely feel like hitting the couch and completely chilling. Unfortunately this is not the best way to achieve this due to the effect that this has on further cravings.


If you really want to do something to satisfy your emotions, try some deep belly breathing. Take a deep breath through your nose for a count of 7 while expanding your stomach and breath all the way down to your belly button. Hold that breath for a count of 4 and then forcefully blow this out through your mouth while contracting your stomach muscles to push every ounce of that breath out of your lungs. Actually, try this right now and see how you feel.


So why do I recommend the deep belly breathing? Because you cannot be under stress and take a deep belly breath at the same time. This are two opposing aspects of your nervous system function that will not exist at the same time. Take 3-5 of these breaths once per hour during your waking hours would be so helpful for curtailing these cravings and absolutely use this during acute stress.


One more significant factor for cravings is a lack of proper digestion. You know, you are not what you eat, rather you are what you absorb and assimilate. So what does this have to do with cravings? 


First understand that you are not hungry to fill your stomach, you are hungry so your body can produce energy. When you make quality nutritional choices and digest these foods properly, your body will produce the energy needed and your trigger for hunger will be cut off. It truly is that simple.


So what happens if you digestive system is not working properly?


This leads to a lack of proper absorption and assimilation, thus leading to a desire for more food. Once the stomach if full though, your trigger for hunger will subside even if you did not reach the desired energy production. Here's the kicker though. If your hunger went away and your stomach is full, you WILL have a craving to follow this meal. The bigger challenge is that this craving will almost definitely be for something sweet because sugar is a definite "quick fix" for energy and we have all had sugar enough for our body to recognize this.


Think about it. How often does this happen? You go out and eat a big meal, fill your belly, yet you still cannot make a move until you get some type of sweet in on top of this. This happens more often that not and most often this is due to poor digestion.


So how do your improve your digestion?


First off, the recommendation of the deep breathing above is definitely a benefit just prior to eating a meal. When you deep belly breath and get your body in a relaxed state prior to eating, this will assist your digestive system.


There are also some basic supplements to use for proper digestion to assist in aleviating cravings.

• Probiotics
• Digestive enzymes
• Stomach acid

These are the basics that Dawn and I use personally and typical recommendations for my clients. As a matter of fact, I refer to this trio as the Depke Wellness 1, 2, 3 of Digestion. If you would like to learn more about the 1, 2, 3 of Digestion visit this link provided. 

So now you know three of the biggest factors for you cravings, so when you think of cravings now, "uggg" does not have to follow.

What is IBS?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

So really, what is IBS?

First off understand that IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome. According to the National Library of Medicine, IBS is defined as a disorder that leads to abdominal pain and cramping, changes in bowel movements, and other symptoms. IBS is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In IBS, the structure of the bowel is not abnormal.

In itself this really does not seem like much of a definition but it truly makes sense. First of all, when something has the word syndrome after it, it basically means that there is a recognized issue but there is not a defined underlying cause for this issue. Oh, does that mean that there is not an underlying cause for IBS? Absolutely not!

While I will not say that this is an absolute, I would share that most of the clients that visit our clinic find that their diagnosis of IBS is most likely tied into leaky gut. 

I get it, the next confusion is what the heck is leaky gut. Honestly if this was to be correctly named, it would be called leaky small intestine. You can see though that this name could perhaps be even more confusing. 

Let me explain leaky gut very simply.

In a healthy digestive system, there are extremely small openings in the small intestines known as tight junctions. Through these tight junctions in the small intestines your body will allow nutrients, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and coenzymes through into your blood stream to nourish your body and more. This is a very important aspect of digestion and optimal health. Well, when you have leaky gut these tight junctions become compromised, thus widening to the point that they allow large undigested compounds (food), toxins and other bacteria to enter into the bloodstream. When undigested proteins as well as other undigested foods, toxins and bacteria enter the bloodstream this creates what would be considered an autoimmune type of reaction. This then leads to a viscous cycle of further intestinal inflammation and greater loss of intestinal permeability A.K.A., more leaky gut.

When this occurs, what symptoms do you think this will lead to? If you guessed abdominal pain and cramping, changes in bowel movements, and other symptoms you are correct. Do these symptoms sound similar to any other diagnosis in conventional medicine? 

You bet it does...IBS.

So the next time you hear the letters IBS think leaky gut because this is more than likely your issue.

The challenge here is that you will almost never hear that words leaky gut from your conventional doctor. From a conventional perspective there is little understanding of leaky gut and even worse, almost zero understanding of what causes this and what it leads to.

Let's first look at what this can often lead to. 

If you remember from the definition from the National Library of Medicine, they mentioned that IBS is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and that with IBS, the structure of the bowel is not abnormal. While this may be true, if you live with leaky gut long enough and this is not addressed, challenges such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are not far around the corner. Also while the structure of the bowel may not appear to be abnormal at the onset of leaky gut or IBS, long term struggles with this will most often lead to inflammation and structural abnormalities.

With this said, doesn't it make sense to understand leaky gut a bit further and obviously address the underlying causes of this challenge? 

Absolutely!

Here is a list of the mechanisms for leaky gut.

• Brain mechanisms such as a traumatic brain injury
• Stress mechanisms such as a prolonged exposure to stress, which can induce a low-grade inflammatory affect
• Hormone mechanisms such as adrenal insufficiency and a lack of proper testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones levels in both men and women
• Alcohol mechanism due to its ability to promote detrimental bacteria growth as well as intestinal permeability
• Autoimmunity mechanism based on the fact that not only does leaky gut promote autoimmunity but also the fact that autoimmunity promotes leaky gut
• Nutritional mechanisms such as gluten intolerance, cross reactive intolerance and the standard American diet which is high in sugar, chemicals and processed foods
• Infections in the gut such as but not limited to parasites, protozoa, H-pylori and more

You may be thinking that based on this list, there is likely a high percentage of people living with leaky gut and they do not even know it. You think???

Just look around you, or perhaps look at yourself. How many people do you know that have some level of digestive disturbance? Remember how this is defined, abdominal pain and cramping, changes in bowel movements, and other symptoms. This can often be recognized as somewhat regular diarrhea or very often constipation. The key for you may be to even define constipation. I share this definition as one bowel movement or less per day. Yes, even one bowel movement per day would be considered as constipation in my book. To be honest, there are so many individuals that actually think that their one bowel movement in the morning is actually normal and health. 

Think again!

So what other type of challenges are associated with leaky gut?

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Depression
• Chronic Inflammatory Challenges
• Chronic Pain
• Inflammatory Bowel
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Food Sensitivities
• Chronic Yeast Issues
• Brain Fog

Now how many people that have these above issues would actually equate this with leaky gut? That answer is slim to none and unfortunately many of these people are missing the boat and unfortunately suffering.

To put it simply, if you live with leaky gut long enough you will likely feel fatigued, depressed and inflamed. 

So what is a person to do if they feel that they have leaky gut?

First of all define the type of person you are. If you require testing to confirm this, I would recommend Cyrex Labs Array #2. This panel will provide the information you need to recognize this as an issue for you.

If you are the type of person that recognizes that this is likely your challenge and testing is not needed for you confirmation, you can simply move into the steps below.

• Assess your likelihood of a gluten intolerance or cross reactive intolerance and eliminate the foods that are issues for you
• Significantly reduce sugar and processed foods from your diet
• Drastically cut back on alcohol consumption and always give yourself a minimum of 3 days rest between alcoholic beverages
• Reduce your stress and/or learn healthy ways of addressing your stress
• Work with a qualified natural health care practitioner if you have had a history of brain trauma to address the potential of brain inflammation, mid brain challenges and/or neurotransmitter imbalances
• Balance your adrenals, thyroid as well as other hormones
• Reduce chronic inflammatory states
• Assess your likelihood of gut infections and address accordingly
• Use gut restorative supplements such as L-glutamine, DGL and aloe vera
• Use a quality prebiotic/probiotic such as the Depke Wellness Prebiotic/Probiotic Formula

There are deeper levels to address leaky gut as we do with our clients at Depke Wellness but the steps above are a significant move in a healthy direction for you. 

So the next time you, a friend or a loved one her the letters IBS, you'll now have a deeper understanding of what this mean and more importantly, what you can do. 

If you are new to Depke Wellness and you have been diagnose with IBS or feel that leaky gut is an issue for you, call our office at (949)954-6225. We offer a complimentary 20 minute phone or in office consultation for all new clients. 

What Pain do you Choose?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

I know, most of you may be thinking "I do not choose any pain?"

Look at this very simply though. The human race is very often motivated by pain. I know, sad but true. Personally, if it was not for the pain this would cause me in regard to my health, I would live on pizza and Coca Cola. These both taste "oh so good" to me, but I have to choose my pain. Do I choose the pain I would feel if I consumed these with regularity or choose the pain of abstaining from these foods. For me this is an easy choice. The pain of eliminating these from my diet is much less intense than the pain I would feel from consuming these. 

This may seem like and easy choice to come of you and some will even say that this is simple common sense.

For many, this is simply not the case.

Very often people know what is creating challenges for them, yet they continue to consume these foods. Some may think, if you know what is hurting you, why would you continue to do this? Simple, right? For many though the pain of giving this up is actually greater than pain felt by consuming the food. Very often you will find those choosing this type of pain share the saying "everything in moderation."

In my opinion the thought of "moderation" in foods that damage you is not a viable option. I have seen it more than once, when clients understand what their food intolerance is, yet they continue to consume these foods. Again, it is simply a choice of the lessor pain.

From the nutritional perspective, I do not want to come across as saying everyone has to give up their food choices that create pain. Heck, many people that have food intolerance are actually asymptomatic so the thought of giving up a potential future pain for a pain right now, this does not make sense. I do not agree with this thought, but I "get" it.

I simply want to make the point that people are motivated by pain and typically choose what is perceived as the lessor pain.

Let's look at some other examples now.

Health overall is a holistic view. Your health is not just physical, it is also mental, emotional, chemical, vibrational and spiritual. Going future your health is also tied into other areas such as your financial and relationship health.

We'll look at relationship health for our next example. 

First off, relationship health can be with a spouse, sibling or even friends and acquaintances. Image that you were hurt emotionally by a spouse. From this point you will see some choices that are motivated by pain again. Many times we make the choice to hold onto emotional pain as a defense mechanism. I would guess that most reading this article have had a time in their life where they did not want to let something go and forgive because we feel that if we do, we are just opening ourselves to future pain. This is another example of choosing a pain. Understand that holding onto (suppressing) your emotion is a form of pain but there may be potential pain if you forgive and let this go.

I know, what's a person to do?

First off, acknowledge times that you are allowing pain to motivate you. When this occurs and you are aware, the next step is to accept this.

I know, ACCEPT this?!?! 

Before you get too excited about this, let me define something here. When I say accept, I do not mean that you have to like or appreciate this. The acceptance is simply the beginning of change. 

Once you accept that you are motivated by pain, simply take responsibility for this. Don't play the victim role or play the blame game. I am not saying that nobody else is playing a role in your pain, but understand that you are the only person you are in control of, so taking full responsibility is a key. This puts you in control of your life and presents an empowering state.

Once you have accepted and taken responsibility, it is now time to ask yourself a simple question. Is what I am doing empowering for me or dysempowering for me? If you answered dysempowering, the next step is to simply do something different and focus on a choice that would be empowering for you and for those around you.

Understand that when you make choices from personal empowerment that actually lift you and those around you, life simply becomes much easier all the time. What does much easier mean to you? 

Less pain!

So in the end, recognize the most of us simply choose the pain we live with. While this is generally motivated by what creates the least pain, the result is still pain.

You can choose something empowering for yourself and find a life that is much easier to move through.

You get to choose!

To enjoy an eye opening interview with one of our worlds leaders in relationship health, Todd Creager, visit this link to register for a complimentary interview coming up on Tuesday September 10, 2013. Again, you get to choose!

Neurotransmitters?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

In last week's article "Is Your Brain Functioning?" we discussed many of the basic challenges that lead to poor brain function. If you remember, we entered into a discussion on neurotransmitters and I promised a follow up article to dive deeper into this subject. Well, here you go!

When talking about neurotransmitters, I refer to this as 1A and 1B as well as my 2A and 2B. The 1A and 1B are serotonin and dopamine. Most experts will agree that if you can balance these two neurotransmitters, everything else will balance itself. I do also look at the 2A and 2B, which I consider to be GABA and Acetylcholine. Assessing your reactions to a lack of any of these four is of utmost importance.

To understand where your neurotransmitter function may be let's look at the challenges that may be occurring in your life based on deficiencies in these areas.

Symptoms of impaired serotonin activity would look like:

• Loss of pleasure in hobbies and interests
• Feeling of inner rage and anger
• Feelings of depression
• Difficulty finding joy from life pleasures
• Depression when it is cloudy or an overall lack of sunshine
• Loss of enthusiasm for favorite activities
• Not enjoying your favorite foods
• Not enjoying friendships and relationships
• Unable to fall into a deep and restful sleep

Nutritional choices to assist with serotonin production:

• Shrimp
• Mushrooms
• Red snapper
• Halibut
• Chicken
• Scallops
• Spinach
• Turkey
• Lamb
• Beef
• Liver
• Salmon

*Deficiencies in these foods is not likely unless you are a vegan or vegetarian. More often the challenge here is a lack of proper digestion that is causing the issue. Often this is caused by gut infections, intolerant foods or stress.
 
Symptoms of poor dopamine activity would look like:

• Inability to motivate
• Inability to start of finish tasks
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Lose your temper for minor reasons
• Inability to handle stress
• Anger and aggression while under stress
• Desire to isolate oneself while under stress
• Unexplained lack of concern for family and friends

Dietary precursors and dopamine:

• Foods that contain a high amount of phenylalanine
• Meats
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Oats
• Chocolate

*Dopamine deficiencies due to diet is not a likely challenge for most, but can be an issue for vegans or vegetarians
 
Symptoms of impaired acetylcholine activity would look like:

• Loss of visual and photographic memory
• Loss of verbal memory
• Memory lapses
• Impaired creativity
• Diminished comprehension
• Difficulty calculating numbers
• Difficulty recognizing objects and faces
• Slowness of mental responsiveness
• Difficulty with directions and spatial orientation

Foods rich in choline as an acetylcholine precursor:

• Liver and organ meats
• Egg yolk
• Beef
• Tofu
• Nuts
• Cream
• Milk with fat (not non-fat or skim)
• Fatty cheeses

Symptoms of impaired GABA activity would look like:

• Feelings of anxiousness or panic for no reason
• Feelings of dread
• Feelings of inner tension and/or inner excitability
• Feelings of being overwhelmed for no reason
• Restless mind
• Hark to turn your mind off when you want to relax
• Disorganized attention
• Worry about things you never had thought of before

GABA deficiencies are not as much about what is missing in your diet but more often what you have in your diet that is damaging for you. Gluten intolerance, Celiac disease and autoimmune disease can trigger a response against the enzyme responsible for making GABA.These issues are most often due to a gluten intolerance or other cross reactive intolerance. For more information in the area refer to this article.

As you review these symptoms for yourself understand that if you have just a few in any particular area, this does not mean you have neurotransmitter issue. If you do have more than half or more challenged in any one area, this could show you something very important in regard to your health and happiness. If you have significant challenges with neurotransmitters, it is likely that dietary changes alone will create the impact needed to reach a balanced state. At this point supplementation is most often necessary. 

Due to the fact that neurotransmitter supplementation is so individualized, I cannot make blanket recommendations. There are also other factors that need to be addressed, such as blood flow to the brain and the potential of brain inflammation, just to name a couple.

I can share the personally I have assessed my own neurotransmitter function and found a slight deficiency in acetylcholine. With this knowledge and the understanding of some brain trauma when I was younger, I am currently supplementing to improve acetylcholine and address any potential brain inflammation. The results of this to date have been improved mental function, improved gut function and it has done wonders for my tennis game. Better focus, vision and awareness. 

Now I cannot complain about that!

*After reviewing this article, if you find that you would like a deeper understanding of your neurotransmitter function feel free to email me directly at Glen@DepkeWellness.com and I can email you a complimentary neurotransmitter assessment form to provide a deeper understanding for you.








 

Is Your Brain Functioning?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

If you are reading this article, of course your brain is functioning. I guess the better question to ask is, is your brain functioning optimally? If you are living with a health issue, that answer is more than likely a big fat no.

For those that do not understand our focus here at Depke Wellness let me first review some core understandings. First of all, your brain and your gut is truly one system and not two different systems. 90% of your brain function goes straight down the Vagus nerve through the spinal column and into the nervous system tissue in the gut. This will then make its way back up through the spinal column, again via the Vagus nerve and back to the brain. With this said, if you have a brain issue you have a gut issue and often when you have a symptom in one the problem may actually be based in the other.

It is very common for clients at Depke Wellness to be living with some type of gut challenge that is leading to symptoms of poor health and happiness. But with what is mentioned above, does this mean that the problem is truly in the gut? That answer is of course no.

It is often very important to address challenges in your gut such as food intolerance, pathogens and leaky gut as examples but often this is not the only issue. This is especially true if you have been working on gut issues for long durations of time, yet still suffering with similar or sometimes that exact symptoms. 

With that said, what is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing while expecting different results of course. Unfortunately I see this all the time with individuals working on long term chronic gut issues. At some point though it is important to look at the brain because this would likely be the issue.

There are many areas that could play a role when you are talking about a poor functioning brain. One area to always look is with overall brain support. This would most significantly be tied into increasing peripheral circulation to enhance of course brain circulation. Once circulation is increased you want to be sure to have the ability to provide optimal nutrients and oxygen to the brain. This would be assisted by omega 3 fatty acids as well as the DHA component of your omega 3 fatty acid. Eating more wild caught cold water seafood, grass fed meat, ground flax, avocados and olives are simple examples of good fat for your brain. Increasing oxygenation by regular use of deep breathing will also make a positive impact for you.

Another area to look at is stress levels. Stress has an accumulative affect on the brain and is a must to address. While stress is very real for all of us, the key is how we perceive this stress as well as how we respond to stressors in our lives. Deep breathing on a regular basis in and by itself will have a significant affect on reducing your stress levels. While there are other areas to assist on this level, this is a subject for another article another time.

Another area that is significantly affecting your brain health is your blood sugar regulation and insulin levels. Basic levels to address this is to consume foods with low glycemic levels, address your adrenal function, get some exercise and reduce your stress levels as mentioned above. Most people understand the food and exercise component of blood sugar and insulin but do not "get" the adrenal and stress impact of this. Understand that when you are stressed, this creates and adrenal reaction and puts your body into a fight or flee situation. The crisis whether a true life and death or a perceived life or death, has the same result on your blood sugar. It skyrockets! This is due to the fact that when your body is in a fight or flee, the body is flooded with sugar to assist with the situation. Since most of us are not fighting or fleeing, we are left with this unhealthy high levels of blood sugar and increased insulin attempting to deal with this situation.

Another area to look at is neurotransmitters. Interestingly enough, when I first learned about neurotransmitters years ago, I was told to use this only in extreme cases. Even more interesting than this is it was my understanding to not move into this basically because it works to well and almost too easy. When improvement comes quick and easy, often people will not address the underlying foundational issues and lifestyle changes that are necessary to continue to maintain optimal health for long durations. Taking supplements to simply address neurotransmitter imbalances is not the only issue, but as mentioned above, this can be a huge benefit for individuals with these issues.

When talking about neurotransmitters, I have what I refer to my 1A and 1B as well as my 2A and 2B. The 1A&B are serotonin and dopamine. Most experts will agree that if you can balance these two neurotransmitters, everything else will balance itself. I do also look at my 2A & B though which I consider to be GABA and Acetylcholine. Looking at how your body is reacting to the lack of balance of any of these four is of utmost importance. Understand though that it is not as easy as simply taking these in supplement forms. If your are taking supplements to assist with neurotransmitters without an understood deficiency, you could actually be creating deeper issues for yourself. 

Another area to consider is the fact that neurotransmitter balance is not what we could consider cut and dry. There is often some level of experimentation with supplementation and may take some time to find that balance correct for each individual. Due to the fact that both taking too little or too much can be an issue, I never recommend this without guidance of a natural health practitioner that understands neurotransmitter function. What I will share though is that wow, when you get this right, you would be very happy that you did.

Remember though, that you have to look at everything that is addressed in this article. Put this all together and you will now only find yourself with a functioning brain but more importantly, an optimal functioning brain. It is more than worth it!

More on neurotransmitters in upcoming articles...

How Heavy is YOUR Stress?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

I have to thank Dr Dan Yachter from www.elevationhealth.com for this awesome analogy on stress.

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed - incapable of doing anything."

It's important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!  

This analogy is a perfect representation of what most people do in our culture, and I am not talking about putting down the glass. We are a culture of holding this glass until we experience pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, most of us even continue to hold onto this long after we begin experiencing these challenges.

So what does this do to the body?

As you likely already know by reading this newsletter, holding onto the glass is a major contributing factor to adrenal issues. To learn more about the affect stress has on adrenal glands click here.

Understand that this is so much more than just your adrenals. This affects your brain function, inflammation, blood pressure, thyroid function, female hormones, digestion, detoxification, immune function, cellular energy, blood sugar balance, quality of sleep and of course your moods. This isn't even a comprehensive list as I am touching on the more significant issues at this time.

Let's look at some of these areas specifically. Starting with the brain it is important to know that stress actually has an accumulative affect on the brain. Often clients will say that they have not had significant stress during their lives. They are thinking of major traumas though, such as death, life threatening disease, divorce, you get the picture. But based on the fact that all of life's little stresses tend to accumulate over time, many of these little stresses can create the same affect as major traumas.

Another big area to look at is with inflammation. I often see clients in my practice that are living with chronic inflammatory states. While it is noted that common causes of chronic inflammation tie into adrenal fatigue, infection, poor diet, gluten or other cross reactive foods and chemotherapy treatment, stress is also a trigger for inflammation. So yes, your perception and reaction to life's stresses impact inflammation in your body. How many people actually feel bodily pain and discomfort after a stressful event? That answer is many or most and that is directly tied into the inflammation created via this response.

How about digestion? Did you know that your body uses a huge amount of blood within your digestive system? Did you also know that when you are stressed out, this blood is actually directed away from your digestive system and pushed to your muscular/skeletal system. This is a perfect flight or flee response, because it is obviously more important to your body to save your life rather than digest your food properly. The big challenge here is that most of us are not in true life and death situations and the stress is simply holding onto the glass for too long.

Are you getting this now?

Blood sugar is another big issue as tied into stress. I had an client back in Illinois, prior to my move to California that was a type II diabetic. This was such a chronic issue for so long that the person had already lost their eye site and one limb. When I first started working with them, blood sugar was regularly between 250 and 350. But the kicker though was the fact that when this client's stress levels were up, the blood sugar would rocket up to 450 to 500 and often higher. Yikes! 

So why does stress raise blood sugar? This is due to fact that your body is tapping into stored glycogen to release huge amounts of sugar into your blood, to do what? To provide the necessary response for your fight or flee situation. But as discussed earlier, this fight or flee is typically not a true life or death situation and you are not fighting or fleeing anything. Due to this, the high blood sugar levels long term simply lead to insulin resistance and insulin surges. So really, do you want to continue to hold onto your glass?

How about quality of sleep? So many of my clients have issues with sleep. This may be challenges falling asleep, waking often through the evening, waking too early or even if they sleep through the night, that are still not waking up rocked and ready to go. You know if this is you, the snooze alarm is your best friend. Holding onto your glass affects sleep in so many ways. Often this is increasing night time cortisol, which in turn is lowering night time melatonin, thus poor sleep. Almost as likely is the stress factor with neurotransmitters. Poor neurotransmitter function will trash your sleep patterns as well as creating many other chronic health challenges. More to come on this with future newsletters.

So how do you put down the glass?

One way to do this is to practice deep breathing techniques. To do this follow the directions below.

• Take at least 3 to 5 deep belly breaths every waking hour
• Always take 3 to 5 of these during times of stress
• Inhale through your nose for about a count of 7 while protruding your stomach while allowing your breath to flow down into the area of your belly button
• Hold that breath for a count of 4
• Exhale forcefully through your mouth while contracting your stomach muscles for about a count of 8

Try this right now and you will recognize that it will be much easier to put down your glass with this technique.

There are many other tools that can be used to assist you in putting down your glass such as ERT, EFT, TFT, EMDR, spinal correction, soft tissue work such as rolfing and massage, prayer and exercise. I feel that it is important to find what resonates with you and most important, what works for you.

After all, doesn't it sound much easier to simply put the glass down?!?!